University of Iowa’s Hancher Auditorium Unveils New Lineup for Stop/Time Festival
In a vibrant celebration of arts and music, Hancher Auditorium at the University of Iowa is gearing up for the inaugural Stop/Time Festival this April. Announced with fanfare, the festival promises an exciting array of guest authors, musicians, and community events, scheduled for April 3 and 4.
One of the festival’s highlights is a free, open-air performance at the University of Iowa’s Pentacrest, right in front of the historic Old Capitol, on April 4 at 12:30 p.m. The Westerlies, a renowned touring brass ensemble, will deliver a show steeped in American folk and sacred music. This unique performance will see collaboration between UI School of Music’s brass students, the Family Folk Machine community choir, and poet Joyelle McSweeney, an alum of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop.
“This collaborative performance is the heart of Stop/Time Festival. It’s our convocation,” explains Andre Perry, executive director at Hancher. “It brings together visiting artists, UI music students, local performers, and UI alumni in celebration of the arts, our campus, and the surrounding community. It is free, open to the public, and for all ages. We hope it’s an opportunity to share a remarkable moment of music and collective joy.”
Enhancing the cultural offering, several prominent authors will set the stage by reading passages before select festival concerts. Noteworthy writers include UI’s own Donika Kelly and Paige Lewis, alongside Carmen Giménez and acclaimed poet Danez Smith. Smith will also engage in an additional reading and discussion at Prairie Lights Bookstore, moderated by Giménez.
The authorship lineup is a collaborative effort by Hancher and the UI’s Office of Writing and Communication. Aaron Greenwald, director of programming and engagement at Hancher, states, “Our aim is to present an exceptional group of writers who are also powerful performers of their work. We want to integrate them fully into the program–poetry, music, and art all in conversation. That’s the spirit of Stop/Time.”
Danny Khalastchi, executive director of the Office of Writing and Communication, adds, “It’s been exhilarating to work on this project. We love bringing the UI’s incredible literary culture into the larger conversation of arts and innovation. At the end of the day, this is an amazing arts campus and community. Our writers–past, present, and future–all play a major role in that excellence.”
Additional festival activities include a collaboration with the Reanimator Reading Series, a performance by the Chicago band Sharp Pins, and the Stop/Time Vinyl Record Show, a marketplace for vinyl enthusiasts. The record show will take place at the Iowa City Masonic Building on the afternoon of April 4, welcoming both passholders and the general public.
These new additions complement the existing lineup, featuring artists like the Branford Marsalis Quartet, Tortoise, Jason Moran, Mary Halvorson, and Mei Semones. The complete festival schedule will be made available in March.
Perry emphasizes the importance of accessibility, noting, “The free programming is essential to this festival. Whether people buy a pass or not, elements of this festival are entirely open to our campus and community. The only thing you need to bring is your curiosity.”
For a detailed lineup and ticket purchases, visit: hancher.uiowa.edu/stoptime
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